Jeopardy

By Darlene Mitchell July 28, 2025 July 28, 2025 Afghanistan, Immigration, John Curran, Useless Information

Jeopardy

By John Curran

Yeah I used to be kind of a news junkie, more like a news nerd actually, but truthfully now its come to such a point that I am just losing interest, brother. Not that I ain’t there. Make no mistake concerning the big picture, when that clarion trumpet calls, I will be there. But for now, and its not more than a sad reflection of the times, that I find my mind wandering now and wondering how many minutes until Jeopardy. I used to love Jeopardy, I’m finding that now, I still do. And ya know, Jeopardy is, has been, and probably always will be, just the greatest damn game show ever. But there was a time, going back to just the last year and for the three years preceding, so four years back, when I was living my life without Jeopardy.

I had no TV. It was a magic time, a time when I became re-inspired as a painter and was again feeling it and doing real serious stuff. It was great. Really great. See I’d left my old place in Texas feeling kind of burned out after a long number of years there. I’d been doing painting there. I’d been in a great Art program and had been doing good work with this group, even making money selling, complete validation, the pride of that. But real art reflects off the real life I feel and towards the end of all these years in Austin I was getting stale. The life was getting stale in many ways correspondingly. When a problem came about at this time with my local housing arrangement, I jumped at the chance to make a change. And so, not knowing nothing or nobody I came up here to Portland, Oregon and was provided with a decent little one bedroom single guy apartment in an area spinoff of the main metropolis. A small apartment complex, it had kids, that was new. A lot of these places don’t allow kids, or so it seems. It was a small place and what with that it soon became common knowledge that I was a painter. A like artist guy. That definitely raised some eyebrows, people be funny, but it didn’t bother me as far as my work was concerned. I was suddenly so totally back again into what was really some of my best painting ever.

The Afghan sisters who to me were the most beautiful girls I had ever seen, a lineage that carries on in spite of a sad history of repression. I love the way their large family, four girls, two older brothers, mother and father, carried on in their Muslim traditions in the midst now of living in this the modern American society. I was inspired by their obvious love for each other as a family and I’ll say this, the beauty of the Afghan woman is ….Anyway, the two middle sisters came to me early on and they had two paintings that they had done. I think one painted the pizza pie and one painted the cat. They wanted to see if I wanted to buy them. I really did like the cat, it was amateurish but yet…there was something there and hey, what’s five dollars for a piece of original art, acrylic on canvas? The other, naw, but both were pretty good. Ya start somewhere. I’ve still got the cat. It’s a sort of a centerpiece, people comment on it, how like what a great painting it is. I think so too.

Trump’s Mental Illness Has Not Improved

By Darlene Mitchell July 28, 2025 July 29, 2025 2020 Election, Celebrity Comments, Outrageous, Psychology, Trumpism

Trump’s Mental Illness Has Not Improved

By D.S. Mitchell

Way Back Then

Way back, in 2016, twenty-six thousand (26,000) psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers signed a petition stating that Donald Trump has a “dangerous mental illness, and is not fit to lead the United States.” Dr. John Gartner, formerly of Johns Hopkins University, now in private practice, stated that he felt he “had an ethical responsibility to warn the public of Donald Trump’s mental illness.” Well, not only have the American people ignored the information from the experts, but they have elected this crazy idiot twice. So, who are the crazies? While that is a serious matter, I’m not prepared to address that here today. What I want to talk about the danger of a man like Donald Trump holding any elected office, much less president of the United States.

Letter To The Editor

In a Letter to the Editor, NY Times, 2/09/2017, Charles M. Blow stated that Trump through his speech and actions demonstrates an inability to tolerate any views, or opinions that differ from his own. “His words and his behavior suggest a profound inability to empathize. Individuals with these traits distort reality to suit their psychological state, attacking facts and those who convey them.”

Prone To Gross Exaggeration

The Editorial Staff of Psychology Today threw their sizable weight at the argument, citing “the dangers of his obvious narcissistic personality type and the offensive behaviors that accompany it.” Behaviors include, but are not limited to, “condescension, gross exaggeration (lying), bullying, jealousy, fragile self-esteem, lack of compassion, and a view of the world that is an “us vs them” view. And the constant boasting, with the overtone that he is the smartest guy in the room, “I’m smarter than the generals.” Or, his classic, “he’s a total loser.”

Memories and Monarchs

By Darlene Mitchell July 28, 2025 July 28, 2025 Update

Memories and Monarchs

D. S. Mitchell

Sharing Something Beautiful

Today I am going to discuss a lovely short essay, by Jennifer S. Kushnier. I originally saw it printed in one of those little books you see at Hallmark card stores. You know, the kind. They are usually really small and have lots of cool art, quotes, short stories, or essays.

Anyway, this little essay by Ms. Kushnier reminded me of my childhood. When I was a kid, even in city neighborhoods there were plenty of vacant lots, some were quite big, really open undeveloped fields where beautiful things happened. Thank you Jennifer, your piece was lovely and charming and brought back those childhood days as if they were yesterday.

Butterflies by Jennifer S. Kushnier

Jennifer began her essay with the lines, “All kinds of wildflowers prospered there, from ivory Queen Anne’s lace and purple Clover, to yellow Buttercups and Black-eyed Susan’s, to burnt orange Indian Paintbrushes and those light-blue flowers that seem to be so rare these days. To this field came dozens of butterflies.”

Island Life

That little essay takes me to another time, a distant point in my childhood. When I too was very young. At that time my family lived on a dairy farm on a picturesque island. Sauvie’s Island is an amazing piece of land caught between the Willamette River and the Columbia River in NW Oregon, about 20 miles west of Portland, Oregon. Most of the island is a huge wildlife refuge with a few farms, even today, in this busy industrialized time.

Protect What We Love

I can remember when the birds would take to the air, and a sunny day went black. Today, on this protected island the sky will never be so full of birds that the sky is black with their bounty. How long before the Monarch’s will be gone forever, and the Wood Duck a mere memory? I think it is imperative that we challenge the Trump Administration at every turn as they push their fossil fuel agenda. It is dangerous for the environment. A threat to wildlife, a risk to our water supply. The gutting of the EPA could potentially poison everything we know and love. If you love the sight of a Monarch butterfly in flight, if you love the sound of a woodpecker, if you love the beauty of a Wood Duck floating on a pond, if you love the sight of an Eagle on the wing, you are not alone. Please, stand up, speak out, and stop the threat to all the wild places by the fossil fuel pushing madman, Donald Trump.

Thank you Jennifer S. Kushnier. I have tried to find you but I have not seen anything else you have written, but this little piece was just perfect.

JOHN LEWIS GOOD TROUBLE PROTEST

By Darlene Mitchell July 28, 2025 July 28, 2025 Update

JOHN LEWIS-GOOD TROUBLE PROTEST 7/17/2025

Editor: As I’ve said before, Grants Pass, Oregon, has for the last decade been a hot bed of MAGA nonsense, but since Trump’s re-election there’s been a lot less hysterical furor and mindless screaming, less red hats, less oversized pickups with giant banners and their requisite over-sized Trump flags. For me, all I can say is thank goodness. I hope the fever for this guy is finally breaking. Hate is not an admirable quality and Trump has taken this country to an ugly place. Give us back MLK, JFK, LBJ, a vision of a better life for all of us, not a chosen few. Give us back common decency. The turnout for the anti-Trump protests have been big all across the country, even in our town of 36,000 the number of protestors has been impressive. The following is an article by my friend Dave about our recent experience at our fourth protest demonstration in the last 6 weeks. D.S.M.

By David Shadrick w/D.S. Mitchell

I was hot and excited to be at the John Lewis protest march. I was hot because it was 102 degrees. I was excited because I was causing “good trouble.” As usual, Darlene and John and I arrived with our collection of signs, drums, horns, and water bottles. We did not do the march because I’m a fat man at 275 pounds and no one wants to push me in my manual wheelchair the 1.2 miles from the courthouse on 6th street to Riverside Park, even on a cold day.

We get to the 7th street bridge (over the Rogue River) at 5:oo pm, where we joined an already sizeable group of like minded folks carrying signs, banners and flags. Darlene was all happy faced. We fit right in. We found a spot in the shade and joined the demonstration. I began waving my trustee ‘8647’ sign, Darlene had her ‘I like my I.C.E. crushed’ sign, and of course John had his drum and goat horn, and a sign about clowns and crowns.

We waved and hollered at cars for the next hour, receiving hundreds of honks and thumbs up signs in return with only a very rare middle finger salute. In fact, the Trump support was miniscule; like I said there were only a couple of the middle finger salutes.

It must have been close to 6:00 pm when the protesters from uptown met up with us waiting at the bridge. The word was that there was music, speeches, and popsicles waiting down by the river. In disability language that means deep in the park, “unreachable.” Slowly the crowd on the bridge began to follow the marchers as they moved into the park, headed to the river

Our little group stayed behind as die hard stalwarts waving our signs on the bridge while most everyone else migrated to the area in the park where they were serving up music and speeches. Quite honestly I didn’t have the heart to ask John to push my wheelchair with me in it down the hill and then in an hour or two, ask him to try to roll me back UP THAT HILL to where our car was parked. I got the fish eye from Dar when I asked if she wanted to trek down to the river with the other protesters. So with the crew in agreement we headed home for pizza and a couple hours of debriefing.

Here in Grants Pass with each new Trump protest we are seeing fewer and fewer Trump enthusiasts. There was an A-hole in an oversized white pick up truck that delighted in expelling black smoke as he passed the crowd, but even he only came around twice. Fortunately his smoke attacks were ineffective. That was the total pushback the local Trumper’s could muster, I take that as good news.

Be ready to make more good trouble. Thousands of people are mobilizing for a National Day of Action against Donald Trump and his extremist administration. There are hundreds of planned “Rage Against the Regime” protests scheduled for the first weekend in August.”50 Protests,50 States, One Movement aka 50501.

Join the New Resistance-Fight the MAGA agenda.

What We Could Have Had

By Darlene Mitchell July 27, 2025 July 29, 2025 Calamity Politics, Cate Rees-Hessel, Democrats, Domestic Policy, Kamala Harris, Opinion, Progressivism, Tim Walz

We Could Have Had The Bright, Beautiful Black Lady

What We Could Have Had

We Could Have Had The Bright, Beautiful Black Lady

By Cate Rees-Hessel

Regrets?

I wonder if anyone that voted for “The Donald” is finally tired of the insanity and has regrets. I recall years ago the Dream Date game – you could get a handsome male or the dud; we sure got The dud. A popular game show allows contestants the opportunity to choose curtains number one, two, or three but beware, a booby prize is behind one of those curtains. We got zonked big time, but unlike that game of chance, the deal those who voted for the orange monster was a deal made with the Devil.

We Had Our Chance

We had the golden opportunity to elect the most accomplished, the most beautiful, the most gracious, and the most compassionate, and highly intelligent attorney-prosecutor to ever seek the presidency, but those who are ruled by racism and sexism chose the weak wizard behind the ugly curtain. Now we’ve been zonked and I don’t know if I can last another 1270 days. Below are some prevailing truths because we regretfully did not elect the smart, beautiful Black lady to run our nation:

When the tariffs prevent you from getting what you need or want, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When I.C.E. takes your loved ones away, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When you can’t afford groceries, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When your wife, sister, or daughter can’t get medical care, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When none of us have health care, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When the Social Security money we all worked for goes to pay Elon Musk’s debts, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When the war in the Ukraine rages on with no hope in sight, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When we are at war with Iran, including the likely terrorist attacks here, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When children have empty plates to fund a want-to-be dictator’s military birthday parade, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
Even though he and “The Donald” have parted ways, the unfettered power given to Elon Musk has already strongly contributed to running our nation into the ground and his new political party as dangerous as he is, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When eggs remain at five dollars a carton, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
Biden capped inulin at $35.00; Trump dropped the cap so insulin is now unaffordable for seniors, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When school lunches are cancelled and children go hungry, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When shootings continue to rise, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When Medicaid and Medicare are no more, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When veterans benefits are no more, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When the National Guard is sent into a peaceful protest, remember January 6th; and that we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When the Gulf of Mexico is referred to as the Gulf of America, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When only billionaires get tax breaks, remember, we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady…
When you wake up drenched in sweat from a nightmare because you voted for Trump, remember…we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady. We could have had Kamala Harris.

Deranged and Demented

Shame on the racist sexists who voted a mentally deranged narcissist with dementia back into the Oval Office, along with his slimy new sidekick JD Vance; instead we could have had the bright, beautiful Black lady, as our President. Kamala Harris and the delightful, down-to-earth schoolteacher/coach/governor Tim Walz at her side. This was a pair that I proudly voted for.

A Long Wait

I have been waiting for our first female President since Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, and Hilary Clinton. Richard Nixon predicted in 1970 that within the next 50 years we would certainly elect a woman president. Well, according to Nixon we are past the time to elect a woman president of the United States.

Thank You, Joe

Thank you, President Joe Biden for helping us smash the glass ceiling; making Kamala Harris the first woman Vice President of the United States. Please join me in wearing something pearl white in the honor of the early suffragettes who demanded the right of women to vote, and our recent presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

The Low Road

By Darlene Mitchell July 13, 2025 July 13, 2025 Anxiety, Demonstrations and Protests, Fascism, Human Rights, MAGA's, Poetry, Protests, Social Issues

The Low Road

Editor: A poem for our time. ‘The Low Road’ by Marge Piercy illustrates the necessity for each individual to take a stand against injustice. This post was suggested by Karen Tate, author and podcaster. Get inspired, we need all the soldiers in this war that we can recruit. Remember the June 17, 2025 rally and come out and give the Trump administration the big middle finger to their dangerous and undemocratic policies.

‘The Low Road’

by Marge Piercy

What can they do
to you? Whatever they want.
They can set you up, they can
bust you, they can break
your fingers, they can
burn your brain with electricity,
blur you with drugs till you
can’t walk, can’t remember, they can
take your child, wall up
your lover. They can do anything
you can’t stop them
from doing. How can you stop
them? Alone, you can fight,
you can refuse, you can
take what revenge you can
but they roll over you.

But two people fighting
back to back can cut through
a mob, a snake-dancing file
can break a cordon, an army
can meet an army.

Two people can keep each other
sane, can give support, conviction,
love, massage, hope, sex.
Three people are a delegation,
a committee, a wedge. With four
you can play bridge and start
an organization. With six
you can rent a whole house,
eat pie for dinner with no
seconds, and hold a fund raising party.
A dozen make a demonstration.
A hundred fill a hall.
A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;
ten thousand, power and your own paper;
a hundred thousand, your own media;
ten million, your own country.

It goes on one at a time,
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again and they said no,
it starts when you say We
and know who you mean,
and each day you mean one more.

Most Dangerous Group in Human History

By Darlene Mitchell July 9, 2025 July 9, 2025 Ethics, Gerrymandering, Lies and Corruption, Republicans

OPINION:

The Most Dangerous Group in Human History

OPINION:

The Most Dangerous Group in Human History

By Karen Tate

Not Since Eisenhower Has There Been an Ethical Republican President

I’ve often written in my published books and essays that knowledge is power. Of course, I didn’t know that growing up in the South where our public school books barely scratched the surface on the evils of the Civil War, patriarchy, sexism, racism, or social justice. Neither were we encouraged to be good citizens with a firm handle on civics and how the government worked. Men and religious institutions were in charge and vital subjects like sex, power, religion and money were not talked about. Taking a back seat and having babies was a woman’s role in life. I had to move to California to begin to get an education and discover how stunted so many of our educations actually are depending on where we grow up and what our socio-economic background might be. Then I had to care enough to educate myself and leave my racist culture behind and become a feminist, or I think the more accurate word today is a womanist.

I’m reminded of all that in these last few years as I rub shoulders with those who would rather not know anything, critically think or choose instead to be apolitical and take a back seat and let someone else do their thinking for them. I have to remember we don’t know what we don’t know. Had I not left the South I doubt I’d ever have discovered the eminent scholar Noam Chomsky nor would I have taken the rare opportunity to interview him on my podcast. I wouldn’t have known he considered the Republican Party the most dangerous organization in human history and though he was primarily talking about climate change at the time, he also said, “Has there ever been an organization in human history that is dedicated, with such commitment, to the destruction of organized human life on Earth?” And he had not yet experienced Donald Trump’s presidency, nor was Project 2025 fully fleshed out as we understand it today.

I believe Prof. Chomsky assessed the GOP as he does for more than their position on climate change by reminding readers we have not had a lawful and ethical Republican president since Dwight D. Eisenhower. Knowledge is power and it’s important to be armed with truthful information. How many of us don’t know or were never taught the following facts about past Republican presidents and their administrations? As my historical account below will attest, Republican Presidents have been guilty of war crimes, election interference, committing treason, sometimes by conspiring with foreign governments, and much more, to acquire or hold power for decades since Eisenhower. Yes, there have been Republican traitors in the White House before Donald Trump even if you didn’t learn about it in school, discover it buried in the news or followed the headlines.

Progress Report: The Women’s Collective

By Darlene Mitchell July 8, 2025 July 8, 2025 Domestic Policy, Mental Health, Politics, Positive Vibes, Solutions, Vajra Ma

Progress Report:

“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free…”

Lady Liberty and the 2025 Fourth of July

By Vajra Ma

July 4, 2025, for me was a day of both mourning and celebration. I mourn the accelerating firestorm of Project 2025 (do your research). I celebrate that I spent the day with people who share my view, but also with some who support the acceleration (although I tend to think if they recognized the earmarks of the authoritarian playbook, they wouldn’t). Why do I celebrate that? Because the hope of this nation, indeed the world, is that we came together as human beings across the divide that would conquer us. We shared company, conversation, food, music and laughter across the divide. WE celebrated our common humanity.

But what about the rest of humanity…?

To that end I share this uniting view in “The Women’s Collective”, a pamphlet written in 2017 by my late husband Wolfgang Nebmaier. [excerpt from “The Women’s Collective” by Wolfgang Nebmaier with Vajra Ma, © Shakti Moon Publishing, 2017]

Summer Beauty

By Darlene Mitchell July 2, 2025 December 13, 2025 Cate Rees-Hessel

Summer Beauty and Entertainment Tips

By Cate Rees-Hessel

Summer is here – we want to look our best while we enjoy the warm temperatures. Don’t let Trump’s tariffs ruin your fun in the sun. Here are some time and money saving ideas for the hot weather months:

Use safe sunscreen – the FDA considers only two active ingredients as “generally recognized as safe and effective” – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Moisturize your body after sun or pool exposure.
Use a gel based moisturizer in hot weather to avoid breakouts.
Make your own body scrubs with sugar, salt, and olive or coconut oils.
Shave often but if you use a disposable razor, change it out after just a few uses.
Use a toner or astringent straight from the refrigerator.
Create a sunburn cream and keep it in the fridge, should you get burned.
Shower or bathe often but use a moisture laden body wash or soap.
Use a non-aluminum deodorant with antiperspirant – try an all over deodorant.
Take advantage of water parks, pools and beaches – enjoy the water but practice water safety.
Enjoy picnics and barbecues, but be mindful of food safety and sanitation. Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer and dry off with paper towels if soap and water are unavailable. Lysol public restrooms in parks and picnic areas. Keep food cold and line public grills with tin foil. Never cross contaminate utensils by using them for raw and cooked food. Separate serving spoons, forks, spatulas, and tongs – rinsing is not sufficient. Carry used items home to be washed in a plastic bag or use disposable cutlery. Do not allow flames to touch food – this produces carcinogens. Do not use non-potable water to wash foods. Never rinse chicken. Wash vegetables and fruit before cooking or consuming to avoid food borne illness.
Summer clothes can be fun and fashionable but beachwear is for the beach, not church, work, or entertainment venues. Get dressed before heading out…
Enjoy outdoor concerts and films – many are free. Take along a bag chair, sweater, non perishable snacks and beverages in insulated reusable bottles but wash them often, after each use. Remember insect repellent for outdoor activities.
A Christmas in July party can be fun. Use a few of your winter decorations to save money on decor. Remember that animals, small children, and those with PTSD, for whom it can trigger flashbacks, don’t like fireworks – please be mindful of this. Small children might enjoy them with earplugs. Consider a parade or picnic during the day but do remember that the five second rule on dropped food does not apply. It’s simply not sanitary or safe to consume what has fallen on the ground.
Have a summer clothing and jewelry swap to remain fashionable on a budget. Be careful with jewelry in the pool – certain stones and gold don’t mix well with the chlorinated water.
Shells are a pretty addition to a porch or patio – so are driftwood and sea glass.
Splash pads are often free or low cost, but many have no locker rooms or showers, and may not have restrooms. Often they are near by facilities with public restrooms so plan accordingly. Do a dry run to figure out the lay of the land before you get your swimsuit ready for a day at the splash park.
Enjoy summer starlit nights with the use of a telescope.
A flower and vegetable garden are not only pretty but practical. Check out a community vegetable patch.
Grill fruit, have an ice cream social, or open a lemonade stand for charity. Summer bake sales can be fun but be careful of chocolate or frosting melting. In addition to campfire s’mores, try bananas split down the center with marshmallows, chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips. Wrap in foil for the fire but be careful when removing them – tin foil can cause burns on your hands and fingers.
Ready your car for road trips by checking oil and tire pressure. Keep water, coolant, and jumper cables handy. Have a good spare tire in your vehicle and join a motor club. Never leave children or pets in hot cars. Consider rail or bus travel.
If you recall days gone by, reminiscing is great but don’t drink from the garden hose or catch fireflies or ladybugs in a jar, even with holes poked in the lid. Let them live in their God-given environment – enjoy looking at them in nature.
Enjoy marina activities but be very careful about boating safety. Never cross alcohol with navigating, and always use life jackets, especially with children, those unable to swim, older adults, and pets.
Take advantage of travel discounts and resident swaps.
Remember to stay hydrated in heat. Don’t ruin your summer with a trip to the emergency room. Avoid caffeine and don’t over indulge alcoholic beverages. Having a fun summer means moderation and sense – don’t risk heat or sun stroke. Enjoy the warm weather – it only lasts a few months…